Process for chlorinating benzene



" hydrochloric acid and Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATE S PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO ERNST AND HANS WAHL, 0F HOCHST-ON-THB-MAIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNORS TO FARBWERKE VORM. MEISTER LUCIUS 8: BRUNING, OF HOOHST-ON-THE-MAIN,

GERMANY, A CORPORATION OF GERMANY.

PROCESS FOR CHLORINATING BENZENE.

. Ito Drawing.

1 0 aZZ whom it nmy concern:

lie it known that we, O'r'ro Enns'r and Hans VJAIIL, citizens of Germany, residing at llOCllSt-Ol1-thQQlfllll, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Process for (lhlorinating Benzene, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a process of chlorinating benzene which consists gen erally in treating benzene vapors with a mix tiire of hydrochloric acid vapors and oxygen in the presence of a contact; substance or catalyst which promotes the interaction of oxygen with the liberation of chlorine. Monochlorbenzene is the principal product.

The process is carried out by flowing a mixture of benzene vapors, hydrochloric acid vapors and oxygen or air at a temperature of at least800 C. over a suitable catalyzer. The resulting vapors are condcnsed, the aqueous portion separated from the oily portion and the latter, after washin; with alkali it necessary, is subjected to fractional distillation, whereby the chlorinated products are separated from tinchlorinated hydrocarbon which may be returned to the chlorinating operation.

A process is already known according to which benzene hydrocarbons are chlorinated by subjecting the same in liquid phase to the action of nascent chlorine but this process which is carried out at a comparatively low temperature does not lead to the con clusion that the Deacon process which involves the use of acomparatively high tem-' perature can be used for the chlorination oi": benzene. Nor does the known method of using hydrochloric acid and oxygen for erchlorinatin unsaturated h drocarbons P e: .V

lead to the conclusion that benzene can be chlorinated by a, similar treatment, because the unsaturated hydrocarbons have peculiar Application filed November'fiZl, 1923. Serial No. 676,176.

properties, and besides the treatment of unsatunted hydrocarbons gives perchlorinated products, whereas applicants process gives products of a low degree of chlorination, particularly the monochlorbenzcne.

l lxample: A tube of acid-resistant ma-' tit-rial is filled with small pieces of pumice stone soaltcd with copper chloride and heated to 70 C. "lhrough this tube is passed a mixture of oxygen and the vapors of commcrcial hydrochloric acid, about and benzene in about the proportion of 15 parts by volume of the benzene vapors, parts by volume of the commercial l'iydrochloric acid 'apors, of which about 9 parts by vol ume are l"l(ll and 7 volumes of oxygen. The vapors issuing from the tube are cooled and the condensate which consists of aqueous hydrochloric acid. benzene and chlorinated benzene, is separated into an aqueous portion and an oily portion and the latter, after washing; with alkali, is subjected to fractional distillation to separate the unaltered benzene, the monochlorbenzene and the small quantity of higher chlorinated products present.

Instead of oxygen a corresponding amount of air may be used.

WVe claim Process of chlorinating benzene which comprises passing a mixture containing benzene vapors, hydrochloric acid vapors and oxygen, at a temperature of at least 300 C. over a contact substance which promotes the interaction of hydrochloric acid and oxygen with the liberation of chlorine.

In testimony whereof, we atlix our signatures.

OTTO ERNST. HANS WAHL.

\Vitnesses: I

GABRIELE FLnsorI, J ANE Goren. 

